Meet Brecksville United Methodist Church's New Senior Pastor Clark Stein

About 20 years ago, the Rev. Clark Stein, new senior pastor, followed the biblical directive to give up his worldly possessions to follow Jesus.

At the time, Stein was working as a salesman, based in Youngstown and handling a large territory for Jostens Printing and Publishing Division.

He also became deeply involved as a layperson at Boardman United Methodist Church and started a contemporary Christian band called In His Service – IHS - with his brother and another friend. The band primarily played folk-rock music in three-part harmony – songs that had been made popular by artists as Wayne Watson, Steven Curtis Chapman and Glad.

“It was fun,” Stein, the keyboardist, said. “We played at area churches in a 25-mile, 30-mile radius. It led us to sharing our faith. It was instrumental to my call to ministry.

“I had three different people on three different occasions (in a very short period of time) tell me out of the blue that I would be a pastor.”

He and his wife, Kathy, took those words as affirmation that they were being called into the ministry. They sold their house and one of their two cars, then packed up their kids in the other one and drove off to the Methodist Theological School in Ohio.

“Jostens was a really good job,” Stein said. “We just walked away from that and pursued God’s call in our life into ministry. It’s been a wonderful journey.”

While attending seminary, Stein worked as a student associate pastor at Shreve United Methodist Church. After his graduation in 1992, he was ordained a deacon and returned to Boardman as an associate pastor.

Two years later, after his ordination as an elder, Stein served for five years as senior pastor at Aurora United Methodist Church, then for four years at Granger United Methodist Church in Medina.

He served at in Mentor from 2003 until beginning his ministry in Brecksville July 3.

Stein also has served the East Ohio Conference as trustees chairman of its Peace with Justice Project and member of its Board of Communications, Leadership Committee for Communications and the Akron District and Western Reserve District Committees on Ministry.

The Detroit native and eldest of four siblings was a fourth-grader when his father received a job promotion and transfer that took the family to Mantua.

Stein graduated from Crestwood High School in Mantua and from with a degree in telecommunications.

“My dream was to be the next Curt Gowdy (nationally known sportscaster),” Stein said. “They locked me in a little radio booth. It’s not what I expected it to be.”

Jostens hired him right out of college. By that time, he had already married his high school sweetheart, and they had started a family. Their four children, ranging in age from 26 to 18, are Caleb, Hannah, Ezekiel and Micah.

They recently became grandparents for the first time.

“He’s a very proud grandfather,” said Les Buttolph, church business manager, treasurer and lay leader. “You just mention his grandson or his family, and his face lights up.”

Buttolph described Stein as a good-natured person, who likes to laugh.

“He’s got a booming, pleasant voice, easy to understand, easy to follow,” Buttolph said. “He’s a real down-to-earth type of guy. He doesn’t like to wear a robe. Some pastors are very formal and wear a robe. Clark likes to be among the people."

Church members and local residents will have an opportunity to get to know the Steins at the church’s annual Ice Cream Social beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, July 22, at the church.

Editor’s note: This article originally used an incorrect name for the pastor’s wife. It has been corrected.